James Shields heading to White Sox in trade
— -- The Chicago White Sox have traded for starting pitcher James Shields, sending starter Erik Johnson and minor league shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to the San Diego Padres.
The White Sox welcomed Shields in a tweet Saturday.
According to multiple reports, the Padres will eat a significant portion of the remaining $58 million owed on Shields' four-year, $75 million deal signed in February 2015. The White Sox are expected to pay between $27 million and $31 million of Shields' remaining salary, a source told ESPN's Jim Bowden, if the right-hander doesn't opt out of his contract after this season.
The 34-year-old Shields is 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in his second season with the Padres. He gave up 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings in his last start Tuesday. Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler called out Shields after the outing.
He will add depth and experience to the White Sox rotation, where he is expected to slot in after ace Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Shields was slated to make his next start Sunday, though it is not immediately clear when he will make his White Sox debut.
Shields had signed the largest free-agent contract in Padres history as one of several big-name players the team brought in before the 2015 season. But the roster overhaul fizzled, as the Padres finished three games worse last year than they did in 2014.
Shields has been among the most durable pitchers in the majors in recent years, making at least 31 starts every season beginning in 2007.
Prone to giving up home run balls, Shields has kept his teams in games for years, going a combined 129-104 with a 3.76 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals and Padres.
Shields helped pitch the Rays into the 2008 World Series and the Royals into the 2014 Series. He made the AL All-Star team in 2011.
The key to the trade for the Padres is Tatis, a 17-year-old shortstop who is a two-way player. He may need to move to third base eventually, but some scouts think can stay at short. Tatis has a chance to develop into an elite prospect with the hitting ability and size to eventually be a middle-of-the-order batter.
Johnson is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA and has not pitched for the White Sox since May 23. He will replace Shields in the Padres' rotation.
The White Sox (29-26) are 1½ games behind the Kansas City Royals for first place in the American League Central. Meanwhile, the Padres have floundered to a 22-34 mark and sit in last in the National League West.
Information from ESPN senior writer David Schoenfield and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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